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LAWPOINTS™ measure the overall completeness of a Lawyer's profile. More complete profiles are ranked higher and help visitors select the right lawyer faster.We help paid Members build more complete and informative profiles.LAWPOINTS™ do not measure a Lawyer's reputation.More Info for Lawyers

LAWPOINTS™ measure the overall completeness of a Lawyer's profile. More complete profiles are ranked higher and help visitors select the right lawyer faster.We help paid Members build more complete and informative profiles.LAWPOINTS™ do not measure a Lawyer's reputation.More Info for Lawyers

LAWPOINTS™ measure the overall completeness of a Lawyer's profile. More complete profiles are ranked higher and help visitors select the right lawyer faster.We help paid Members build more complete and informative profiles.LAWPOINTS™ do not measure a Lawyer's reputation.More Info for Lawyers

LAWPOINTS™ measure the overall completeness of a Lawyer's profile. More complete profiles are ranked higher and help visitors select the right lawyer faster.We help paid Members build more complete and informative profiles.LAWPOINTS™ do not measure a Lawyer's reputation.More Info for Lawyers

LAWPOINTS™ measure the overall completeness of a Lawyer's profile. More complete profiles are ranked higher and help visitors select the right lawyer faster.We help paid Members build more complete and informative profiles.LAWPOINTS™ do not measure a Lawyer's reputation.More Info for Lawyers

LAWPOINTS™ measure the overall completeness of a Lawyer's profile. More complete profiles are ranked higher and help visitors select the right lawyer faster.We help paid Members build more complete and informative profiles.LAWPOINTS™ do not measure a Lawyer's reputation.More Info for Lawyers

LAWPOINTS™ measure the overall completeness of a Lawyer's profile. More complete profiles are ranked higher and help visitors select the right lawyer faster.We help paid Members build more complete and informative profiles.LAWPOINTS™ do not measure a Lawyer's reputation.More Info for Lawyers

LAWPOINTS™ measure the overall completeness of a Lawyer's profile. More complete profiles are ranked higher and help visitors select the right lawyer faster.We help paid Members build more complete and informative profiles.LAWPOINTS™ do not measure a Lawyer's reputation.More Info for Lawyers

LAWPOINTS™ measure the overall completeness of a Lawyer's profile. More complete profiles are ranked higher and help visitors select the right lawyer faster.We help paid Members build more complete and informative profiles.LAWPOINTS™ do not measure a Lawyer's reputation.More Info for Lawyers

LEGAL TERMS

USUFRUCT

The right to use property -- or income from property -- that is owned by another.

CO-TENANTS

Two or more tenants who rent the same property under the same lease or rental agreement. Each co-tenant is 100% responsible for carrying out the rental agreemen... (more...)

Two or more tenants who rent the same property under the same lease or rental agreement. Each co-tenant is 100% responsible for carrying out the rental agreement, which includes paying the entire rent if the other tenant skips town and paying for damage caused by the other tenant.

LEGACY

An outdated legal word meaning personal property left by a will. The more common term for this type of property is bequest. Compare devise.

SEVERANCE PAY

Funds, usually amounting to one or two months' salary, frequently offered by employers to workers who are laid off. No law compels employers to provide severanc... (more...)

Funds, usually amounting to one or two months' salary, frequently offered by employers to workers who are laid off. No law compels employers to provide severance pay, although the employer may be legally obligated to do so if it was promised in a contract or employees' handbook.

SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE

A remedy provided by a court that orders the losing side to perform its part of a contract rather than, or possibly in addition to, paying money damages to the ... (more...)

A remedy provided by a court that orders the losing side to perform its part of a contract rather than, or possibly in addition to, paying money damages to the winner.

CONSTRUCTIVE EVICTION

When a landlord provides housing that is so substandard that a landlord has legally evicted the tenant. For example, if the landlord refuses to provide heat or ... (more...)

When a landlord provides housing that is so substandard that a landlord has legally evicted the tenant. For example, if the landlord refuses to provide heat or water or refuses to clean up an environmental health hazard, the tenant has the right to move out and stop paying rent, without incurring legal liability for breaking the lease.

EXPRESS WARRANTY

A guarantee about the quality of goods or services made by a seller, such as 'This item is guaranteed against defects in construction for one year.' Most expres... (more...)

A guarantee about the quality of goods or services made by a seller, such as 'This item is guaranteed against defects in construction for one year.' Most express warranties come directly from the manufacturer or are included in the sales contract. If you want to hold the seller to an oral guarantee, it's best to get it in writing or have witnesses to the guarantee so that it doesn't come down to your word against the seller's if a problem arises.

MEMORANDUM

(1) An informal written document. A memorandum may be used in any number of circumstances, but most lawyers are best acquainted with the interoffice memorandum-... (more...)

(1) An informal written document. A memorandum may be used in any number of circumstances, but most lawyers are best acquainted with the interoffice memorandum--a document prepared by a junior associate in a law office or a judge's law clerk outlining the facts, procedural elements and legal arguments involved in a particular legal matter. These memos are reviewed by senior lawyers and judges who use them to decide how to proceed with the case. (2) Any written record, including a letter or note, that proves that a contract exists between two parties. This type of memo may be enough to validate an oral (spoken) contract that would otherwise be unenforceable because of the statute of frauds. (Under the statute of frauds, an oral contract is invalid if it can't be completed within one year from the date the contract is made.)

EASEMENT

A right to use another person's real estate for a specific purpose. The most common type of easement is the right to travel over another person's land, known as... (more...)

A right to use another person's real estate for a specific purpose. The most common type of easement is the right to travel over another person's land, known as a right of way. In addition, property owners commonly grant easements for the placement of utility poles, utility trenches, water lines or sewer lines. The owner of property that is subject to an easement is said to be 'burdened' with the easement, because he or she is not allowed to interfere with its use. For example, if the deed to John's property permits Sue to travel across John's main road to reach her own home, John cannot do anything to block the road. On the other hand, Sue cannot do anything that exceeds the scope of her easement, such as widening the roadway.

SAMPLE LEGAL CASES

... According to Montgomery, he lives in a rented trailer and has an agreement with the landlord
to fix it up. The tiles on the floor are peeling up at the corners, and the can of acetone that
the landlord had left to remove them with was nearly empty. ...

... We affirm the trial court's dismissal of the action because Harvest Manor waived its statutory right
to evict Mr. Padilla under the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act (MHLTA), chapter
59.20 RCW, by continuing to accept rent from Mr. Padilla after serving three 15-day ...